Denelle Manzer and Lewis Brice.Photo: Jennifer Cody Photo
Lewis Bricehas found what he’s “Been Looking For”: forever.
On Saturday, Oct. 1, the country singer, 39, and Denelle Manzer tied the knot outdoors at theHiwassee River Wedding and Eventsvenue in Delano, Tennessee.
“Having the wedding outside was special to us because we both love the outdoors,” Brice tells PEOPLE. “We go hiking on trails any chance we get. The venue we chose had all of that, and it’s such a beautiful location right on the Hiwassee River. We decided to write our own vows and exchange them during the ceremony. It was extremely special and was a hit!”
Denelle Manzer and Lewis Brice.Jennifer Cody Photo
For the big day, Brice — who is gearing up to release his first full-length album early next year — had his brother, country starLee Brice, serve as his best man. Other famous faces in attendance at the wedding includedOuter BanksstarCharles EstenandBachelorettealum Chase McNary, who is engaged to Manzer’s friend and bridesmaid Ellie White.
The wedding party.Jennifer Cody Photo
During the ceremony, during which the couple exchanged their wedding bands fromManly BandsandShane Co., Brice had one of his “best friends” Nick Norman serve as the officiant.
“He’s known me since I was probably 6 years old and has seen mine and Denelle’s journey to where we are now,” Brice says. “It felt fitting that he be the one to marry us.”
Since the couple decided not to do a first look, Brice saw Manzer, 33, a real estate agent withSmith Douglas Homes, in her wedding dress for the first time as she came down the aisle.
“Denelle was most excited to see me tear up when she was walking down the aisle,” says Brice, who wore aJos. A. Banksuit. “She got me!”
The families.Jennifer Cody Photo
The couple’s love story began when they first crossed paths at Tin Roof in Nashville in 2017, where Manzer was working as a bartender at the time. Instantly, Brice knew he had met someone special.
“I walked up and asked to buy her a shot, thinking she’d make something fruity like a royal flush or something with cranberry in it,” Briceexplained in 2021. “To my surprise, she promptly let me know she was going to shoot Jack Daniel’s and, I quote, ‘to saddle up.'”
Referencing the title of his single “It’s You,” which Manzer starred in the music video for, he said, “I honestly believe I knew in that moment that she was my ‘It’s You’ in life. She got me good with the whiskey talk, and I haven’t turned back since.”
Manzer says she knew Brice was “the one” when she had a “freak accident” in May 2018 and “had to depend on Lewis to help me recover.” After that, she says, “I knew he was the man I would spend the rest of my life with.”
Afterproposing to Manzer during a fishing tripto Alaska in July 2021, Brice says 2022 felt like “the right time” to get married. “When you know, you know!” he says.
As to what keeps his and Manzer’s relationship strong, Brice says it’s not making “love harder than it is,” as well as “communication, respect, loyalty and love.”
While the couple is looking forward to forever, their first stop is their honeymoon. “We’ll be honeymooning at a resort in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, calledThe Excellence,” Brice says.
source: people.com
